USA L-1A Intracompany Executive/Manager Visa

What is the L-1A visa, and what is it not?

The L-1A visa is a temporary US work classification that lets a company abroad transfer an executive or manager to a related US company, including a new US office. It lasts up to seven years in total, it is dual intent, and it is adjudicated by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on a petition filed by the US employer. The official summary is on the USCIS L-1A page.

• It is not a green card. Permanent residence needs a separate immigrant petition, most commonly EB-1C for multinational executives and managers.
• It is not an investment visa. There is no minimum investment; the US investment is only evidence that a new office can start trading.
• It is not for the self-employed without a company abroad. An operating organisation abroad must keep doing business throughout your stay.
• It is not citizenship. The US has no citizenship by investment.

What are the L-1A visa requirements?

The L-1A visa requirements are a qualifying corporate relationship, one continuous year of executive or managerial work abroad within the last three years, and a US role that is itself executive or managerial. The regulations at 8 CFR 214.2(l) define each one.

• Qualifying relationship. The US company and the company abroad must be parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate, both doing business (the regular, systematic and continuous provision of goods or services) in the US and at least one other country.
• One year in three. You must have worked full time for the group abroad for one continuous year within the three years before admission (for a new office, within the three years before filing, in an executive or managerial capacity).
• Executive or managerial capacity. An executive directs the organisation or a major function; a manager supervises managers or professionals, or manages an essential function.

Can you transfer yourself from your own company?

Business owners can use the L-1A for their own group, within official limits. An affiliate can be one of two companies owned and controlled by the same individual, so a German GmbH and a new US company you control may qualify. For an owner or major stockholder, the petition must show the services are temporary and that you will be transferred to an assignment abroad at the end. The State Department's guidance in 9 FAM 402.12 adds that neither a title nor ownership by itself proves managerial or executive capacity, and that a sole employee qualifies only if the primary function is to direct major functions through other people. How this interacts with a later green card is a point your attorney confirms.

How does the L-1 visa for a new office work?

The new office L-1A lets an established company abroad send an executive or manager to open a US office doing business for less than one year. The petition must show secured premises, the one-year rule, and that within one year the US operation will support an executive or managerial position.

In practice this means a lease, a funded US entity, the foreign company's ability to pay you, and a credible one-year business and staffing plan. The initial approval is for one year only.

The one-year extension is the real test. The employer files a new petition showing that both companies still qualify, that the US entity has done business for the year, your duties, the staffing of the new operation (employees, positions, wages paid) and its financial status. An office that has not grown into a structure that supports a manager can be refused. Capital placed in a new US office is business capital and can be lost. If you are planning a US subsidiary, book a free consultation before you sign a lease.

How long can you stay on an L-1A visa?

An L-1A holder can stay up to seven years in total: up to three years initially (one year for a new office), then extensions of up to two years. After seven years in L or H status, you need one year outside the US before a new L or H admission.

Large groups may use a blanket L petition (a US office doing business for a year or more and three or more related entities, plus one of three tests: at least ten L approvals in the past twelve months, at least USD 25 million in combined annual US sales, or at least 1,000 US staff). Blanket approval does not by itself classify any individual, and most owner-led companies use an individual petition.

How much does the L-1A visa cost in 2026?

The L-1A government fees in 2026 start at USD 1,385 for a paper Form I-129 L petition (USD 1,335 online, USD 695 for a small employer), plus a USD 500 Fraud Prevention and Detection fee on an initial petition. Figures below are from the USCIS Form G-1055 fee schedule, edition of 7 October 2026, and 22 CFR 22.1, as of 13 October 2026.

A DHS final rule amending the Public Law 114-113 fee took effect on 9 September 2026, according to USCIS; the 7 October 2026 schedule still lists USD 4,500, and a typical owner-led company does not pay it. Mirabello's advisory fee and the independent US attorney's fee are separate.

How does the L-1A application work, step by step?

• 1. Structure check: qualifying relationship and your year abroad.
• 2. New office: premises, funding and the one-year plan.
• 3. Petition: the US entity files Form I-129 L, optionally with premium processing.
• 4. Visa: an L visa interview at a US consulate, or a change of status inside the US.
• 5. Admission and extensions: up to three years (new office one year), then up to two years at a time.

With premium processing, USCIS acts on the I-129 within 15 business days. Standard processing times and consular waits change often, so we check the current figures for your case rather than quote one.

Can your spouse and children come, and can your spouse work?

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can join you in L-2 status, and your spouse can work for any employer. USCIS treats spouses in valid L-2S status as employment authorised incident to status; since 30 January 2022 the I-94 annotated L-2S is acceptable evidence. Children may study; the USCIS page says nothing about work rights for children, so we confirm before a child plans to work.

How do you get from an L-1A visa to a green card through EB-1C?

The L-1A leads to a green card through EB-1C, the first-preference immigrant category for multinational executives and managers, and it needs no labour certification. The US employer files Form I-140 (category E13) under 8 CFR 204.5(j). Because the L-1 is dual intent, filing it does not put your L-1A status at risk.

• One year abroad as a manager or executive in the three years before filing, or before your entry as a nonimmigrant.
• The US employer is related to the foreign one and has been doing business for at least one year, so a new office files only after its first year.
• A job offer statement and a continuing ability to pay the offered wage.

You then adjust status or apply for an immigrant visa when the Visa Bulletin shows a visa available for your country of birth; we check current dates before any estimate. The regulations do not address owner-beneficiaries expressly, so your attorney confirms how an owner shows the employer relationship. After five years as a permanent resident (general rule), you may apply to naturalise. See the USCIS EB-1 page.

Do you need a treaty nationality for the L-1A visa?

The L-1A has no nationality requirement: eligibility turns on the corporate relationship and your role, not your passport. That is the main contrast with the E-2 Treaty Investor visa, which is open only to nationals of US treaty countries. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait have no E treaty, so for a Gulf family group the L-1A is often the natural route into the US.

What changes for European and Gulf business owners?

For a company that already exists in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Turkey or the UAE, the L-1A builds on what you have: the operating company abroad is the foundation of the petition. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and Portugal (since 15 March 2024) are E-2 treaty countries, so their nationals can compare both routes; Greece is E-1 only.

A move also changes your tax position. The IRS taxes US residents on their worldwide income. An L-1A holder becomes a US tax resident under the Substantial Presence Test (at least 31 days in the current year and 183 weighted days over three years), and a green card holder is a US tax resident. See the IRS page on the taxation of US residents. Home-country consequences are individual. This is general information, not tax advice: settle it with tax counsel in both countries.

L-1A, E-2 or EB-5: which US route fits a business owner?

The L-1A fits an owner or executive with an established company abroad; the E-2 fits a treaty national investing personally in a US business; EB-5 fits an investor who wants a green card directly.

See the EB-5 green card route, the E-2 visa through a franchise and the O-1 visa. Every route is compared on our USA immigration hub, and the wider landscape is in our residency by investment guide.

Ask Mira, by Mirabello

For a first answer at any hour, ask Mira, by Mirabello, the AI advisor of Mirabello Immigration Intelligence, which reads the same verified data as this page. A specialist then confirms your case.

How Mirabello Consultancy helps

Mirabello Consultancy advises on fit, structure and documents: whether your group qualifies, how a new US office should be set up and staffed to pass the one-year review, and how EB-1C fits your plans. We coordinate the case; an independent, licensed US immigration attorney prepares and files every petition. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal, tax, investment or financial advice; this page is general information. Mirabello Consultancy Ltd is based in Switzerland, with offices in Dubai and Hong Kong SAR, and maintains no establishment in the United States. Approval is decided by the US authorities alone and is never assured. To start, book a free, confidential consultation.